Garak's Exciting Life as a Tailor
by Caitirin
Summary: A "what you didn't see while the show was focused elsewhere" story. The thoughts of Julian Bashir while Garak was away.


"What do you mean he's gone?"

"I mean he's gone, Julian. He must've left sometime during the night. I can only guess that he went with Odo, because he's gone too." O'Brien tilted his head. "Are you all right, Julian?"

Julian Bashir wasn't all right, in point of fact, he was downright worried. "He didn't tell me that he was leaving..." Julian looked away, rubbing his arm absently.

Miles O'Brien looked at him sideways for a second, wondering. "I'm sure they'll be fine... Look, it was probably just something for Odo's investigation."

Julian looked up hopefully. "Does it say when they'll be back?"

Miles shrugged, "I don't think so. Why are you so concerned? Odo and Garak are both grown men, it's not like they're going to vanish. I'm sure it's just a routine kind of thing. They'll be back soon. Relax." Miles patted Julian on the back gingerly. He looked as though he would about to cry, and Miles would really have no idea what to do with him then.

Julian felt his nerves tightening into a little neurotic mass of worry. He hoped that Miles was right. "You're... probably right, Chief. I... I should get back to work." He forced a smile. "Thanks." He squared his shoulders and walked away down the hallway.

Miles wasn't fooled. The disappearance of Garak had put him on edge. Julian was a strange fellow, he kind of grew on you after a while, though. He hoped that he was right about Odo and Garak, if just for the sake of everyone on the station, a distracted doctor probably wasn't a good thing to have about.

Julian was examining tissue data samples in the computer. He had decided that he would bury himself in his research on biomolecular replication; one day maybe he would be re-nominated for the Carrington Award. However, the Carrington Award was as far from his mind as Deep Space Nine was from the Delta Quadrant. All he could think about was a certain Cardassian tailor.

"Dr. Bashir?"

Julian blinked for a moment before he managed to remember that he was supposed to acknowledge someone calling his name. "Yes, ensign?"

The young ensign folded her hands in front of her. "Well, it's just that you've been looking at that same data for the past hour, I was wondering if you wanted something else. You..."

"I, what?"

"You seem a little distracted, sir. Maybe you should take a break."

Julian frowned. "I... I guess maybe I ought to. I'll just see to those files."

"You already took care of them, Doctor, and you checked them twice."

"Right... so I did. I believe I will take the rest of the day off then. You're sure you'll be fine?"

The ensign smiled. It would be good to get him out from underfoot, Dr. Bashir was a brilliant man, but today his mind was completely not in the infirmary. "I'll be fine. I'll ring you on the communicator if anything important comes up."

Julian nodded. "All right. I'll be in the replamat cafe then."

Two hours later Julian was still sitting in the replamat cafe, still stirring the same cup of coffee that he'd ordered two hours ago. It was stone cold by now, but Julian hadn't noticed.

He was sitting with his chin propped in one cupped hand, staring across the Promenade and out the window into space, perhaps hoping to see an approaching ship, perhaps with a certain tailor aboard. It was long past lunch now, but Garak wasn't going to be meeting him for lunch today. Garak wasn't here. Garak was... well who knew where Garak was, certainly not one Dr. Julian Subatoi Bashir.

"Indeed, I mean why should he know?" Julian muttered under his breath. A passing Vulcan gave him a strange look and kept on walking. Julian quieted himself. _Why did you expect him to tell you if he was going anywhere? It's not like he needs to tell me. That's ridiculous, I don't need to know where he is all the time. It's none of my business, right?_ Julian stirred his coffee a little more quickly. _What do I care where he goes or what he does? It's none of my concern, and I don't care._

Julian sighed and his shoulders drooped. _You're a terrible liar, Julian. You can't even convince yourself._ He pushed the coffee mug away and stood up. There was no use worrying about it, worrying about Garak wasn't going to bring him back to the station. Julian left the replamat cafe and headed back to his quarters.

Miles had just finished an extensive repair to one of the upper pylons when he spotted Julian in the hallway, headed his direction. The doctor looked so dejected that Miles felt bad for him. He must still be thinking about Odo and Garak. Miles recognized the look on Julian's face, or at least he thought that he did. It was the same kind of look that he got when he was thinking about Keiko, and how much he missed her. Miles really wondered sometimes... but Julian and Garak were just good friends. There wasn't anything more than that. Miles raised a hand. "Hey, Julian. I just finished working on one of the pylons, I was, er, wondering if you'd like to come and have a drink with me at Quark's, maybe I could beat you at darts?"

Julian looked up at Miles, he hadn't heard anyone approaching. "Hello, Chief. I was just heading to my quarters, but, sure. I think one drink might not go amiss."

Quark's was busy, Miles and Julian had to wait a little before they got a table. They ordered some synthale and then decided to take it over towards the dart board. After a handful of games, Miles was winning, by more than a few points.

It was Julian's turn, he stepped up to the line. "It's not as though I'm worried about him. I was just wondering where they'd gone, that's all. I was supposed to have lunch with Garak tomorrow, well I guess it wasn't a scheduled thing, but we have lunch every day, and I'd gotten really used to it, so I would have thought that he might have said something if he would be away. Though, he certainly doesn't have to tell me anything, it's none of my business after all, and it's not as though I'd be worried about him or anything."

Miles rolled his eyes. "Julian, you've been talking about nothing else but Garak for two hours now. I think you're a little worried, that much is obvious."

Julian turned a sudden look of concern on his face. "You think I'm worried?"

Miles arched an eyebrow, "Yeah, I know you are. You've been chattering on about it non stop. I can barely get a word in edgewise, that's a sure sign that you're worried. That and you aren't paying attention to the game at all, I'm beating you by at least three hundred points. Even for you, that's pretty sad."

Julian's face fell. "Ahh yes. I guess maybe I am a little distracted."

"It's not that it's anything strange though, Julian. I worry about Keiko all the time when she's gone... not that it's anything like that I mean, what I mean is, well... I would probably worry about you if you up and vanished too. It's a normal response."

"It is? I mean, it is. I knew that. It's perfectly normal." Julian said quickly. "So... what do you do then?"

Miles shrugged. "I play darts with you, or work on other things, and try not to think about it. Or I think about how great it will be when she gets back. Things like that."

Julian nodded. "Okay... Thanks, Chief. I really appreciate it. I should probably get going, it's late, and I have to work on some samples tomorrow." Julian smiled and patted Miles on the back. "Thanks again, Chief."

Miles shook his head and smiled, so maybe he was right and Julian and Garak were more than good friends. Though he doubted it, Julian probably hadn't figured it out yet. For someone so very brilliant he could be awfully dense.

Julian ran down the hallway and waited impatiently for the turbo lift. Odo and Garak had hailed Deep Space Nine and requested permission to dock. Garak was back, Julian wanted to go and see him so very badly. He'd already made up his mind, he wasn't going to ask Garak where he'd gone, because Garak wouldn't tell him in all likelihood. And he wasn't going to ask why he hadn't told him that he was going, because he'd decided it wasn't any of his business.

He missed Garak getting off the ship because he'd gotten the docking bay area number mixed up in his enthusiasm. He was able to catch up with Garak just as he was leaving his shop.

"Garak." Julian stopped running just a few feet short of him and managed to walk the rest of the way, a little more calmly. "I'm glad to see that you're back."

Garak smiled at him. "Why, hello Doctor."

Julian wasn't sure what to say. He folded his hands behind him but then decided that it looked silly and moved them again. "I... missed having lunch with you. I hope, everything went well on your trip. Did you get to eat the chocolates?"

"It is good to know that someone noticed my absence. So, how many reasons did you have time to dream up for my sudden departure?"

Julian rubbed his neck, a little embarrassed. "I... thought of a few I guess..." He smiled sheepishly. "I was about to go and look for that panel in your room. I thought that you might not be coming back." Julian said a little more softly.

Garak touched his arm. "My dear doctor, I suppose if I could ever be persuaded to abandon my exciting life as a tailor, it would certainly be my lunches with you that I would miss the most."


End file.
